Box cover retainer



Oct. 3, 19:39. J. J. KULHANEK BOX COVER RETAINER Filed Sept. 2, 1937 M f f Patented Oct. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a box cover retainer.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a retainer in the form of a lock or latch for the cover of a box or crate with the cover securely retained in position on the box or crate during shipment, the cover carrying a holder for an address or identification tag that is operable to permit release of the tag. m A further object of the invention is to provide a box or crate cover retainer of the foregoing character with the lock or latching device for the cover located at one end of the box or crate with the other end of the cover having an interlocking connection with a box or crate and a centering or positioning device for the cover to properly locate the lock or latching device cooperatively carried by the body of the box or crate and cover.

With the above and other objects in View that will become apparent as the nature'of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed. In the drawing:

' Figure l is a perspective View showing the box cover retainer of the present invention and also the tag holder for the cover;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Figure l, showing the latching devices for retaining the cover in position on the box and the push button for releasing the latching devices;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Figure l, showing notched pins carried by the box cover engaged with keeper arms carried by the body of the box;

Figure 4 is a vertical detail sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the box cover showing the interlocking connection between one end of the cover and box and the devices for centering or locating the cooperating latch devices carried by the box and cover at the opposite end of the box;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Figure 5; and

Figure 'l is a fragmentary top plan View, partly in section of the box cover showing the holding device for the address or identification tag attached to the cover with the holding device shown in dotted line position for releasing the tag.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, the reference character I0 designates in general a box, crate or similar container including a bottom wall II, side walls I2, end walls I3 and a removable cover I4 that has an interlocked and latched connection with the open upper end of the box.

The interlocking connection between one end of the cover I4 and the box IG is shown more clearly in Figs. l, 5 and 6, the upper edge of an end wall I3 having a cleat I5 secured thereto with the upper horizontal edge of the cleat I5 extending above the upper edge of said end wall I3 for the anchoring attachment of a bar I extending transversely of the end of the box Ill. A centering nail or pin I'I is driven downwardly through the bar I3 midway the ends thereof for anchoring in the upper edge of the end wall I3, the mounting of the cleat I5 and bar I6 on the box end providing a transversely extending groove or channel as shown in Figure 6. One end of the cover I4 is reinforced by a metallic sheath zo I8 of U-shape that encloses the same and said end and metallic sheath is provided with a V-shaped notch I9 intermediate the side edges of the cover I4 to be received on or straddle the pin I'I that extends downwardly through the 25 groove to enter the upper edge of the end wall I3.

The latch connection between the other end of the cover I4 and the body of the box I is shown more clearly in Figs. 1 to 4 and includes a bar 2i! secured to the outer side of the opposite 30 end wall I3 at the upper edge thereof by means of nut and bolt combinations 2| or other suitable anchor means. The inner side of the bar 20 facing the end wall I3 and adjacent each end thereof is provided with a longitudinally extending groove 22 and at the outer end of each groove, an opening 23 is formed that extends transversely through the bar 2U. A resilient rod 24 extends lengthwise of each groove 22 in contact with the bottom wall of the groove, the inner end of each 40 resilient rod 24 being anchored as at 25 in the bar 20 while the outer end of each rod 24 terminates centrally of the opening 23 and is anchored as at 26 to a push button 21 freely mounted in the opening 23 and adapted when pushed inwardly of such opening against the tension of the resilient rod 24 to move the outer end of said rod away from the bottom wall of the groove 22 as will at once be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 2. 'Ihe adjacent end of the 0 box cover I4 extends over the upper end of the bar 20 and has a cleat 28 secured to the upper side thereof flush with the end edge of the cover with notched pins carried by and depending from the cleat 28 to extend downwardly into grooves 22 for engagement with the resilient rods 24. A pin 29 is carried by the cleat 28 adjacent each end thereof, the upper headed end 30 of the pin being anchored above the cleat while the adjacent underlying portion of the end of the cover I4 is out away as at 3l to provide a clearance for the collar 32 anchored to the pin 29 in engagement with the bottom side of the cleat 28 for anchoring the pin to the cleat. The lower end of the pin 2S extends downwardly through a guiding recess 33 shown more clearly in Fig. 2 as extending transversely of the bottom wall of the groove 22 with a notch 34 in a side oi the pin 29 to receive the resilient rod 24, the end of the pin 29 outwardly of the notch 34 being bevelled as at 35 to facilitate engagement of the notched pin with the rod.

In placing the cover I4 upon the box Ill, one end of the cover is rst interlockingly engaged with the bar I6, the same being centered on the box by the pin and notch connection I1I9, the other end of the cover being then lowered for directing the latch pins 29 into the grooves 22 of the bar 2tlfor latching engagement with the resilent rods 24, the pins 29 moving in the recesses 23 in the bar 2i] guiding the cover to its correctly closed position. To release the cover, it is only necessary to press inwardly upon the buttons 21 to disengage the resilient rods 24 from the notched pins 29 and at which time the latched end of the cover may be raised from the box.

An address or identification tag holder is carried by the cover I4, the holder including a bar 36 secured to the upper side of the cover I4 and extending transversely thereof, the bar 36 being cut away at its underside as at 31 and having an arm 38 pivotally mounted as at 39 at one end thereof within the `cut-away portion 31. The other end of the arm 38 carries a latch lever 4l] pivoted thereto as at 4I and tensioned as at 42 for moving the notch 43 in the side of the latch levez` into engagement with the keeper pin 44 within the cut away portion 31 as shown in Fig. 7. A relatively short upstanding pin :l5 is carried by the arm 38 intermediate the ends thereof for the reception of the eyelet carried by the address or identication tag 41. To release the tag 41 from the box cover I4, the latch lever 40 is moved on its pivotal mounting 4I against the tension of the spring 42 to disengage the latch lever from the keeper pin 44 whereupon the arm 38 may then be moved outwardly of the cut away portion 31 of the bar 36 to the dotted line position shown in Figure 7 to expose the tag holding pin 45 and at which time the tag may be readily removed from the arm 38.

From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent and while there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a box cover retainer, a box body, a cover therefor, an interlocking centering connection between one end of the box body and the cover and a latch connection between the other end of the cover and box body including notched latch pins depending from the cover, concealed horizontal resilient keeper rods anchored at one end to the box body for engagement with the notched pins and a push button carried by the free end of each f keeper rod for disengaging them from the notched pins, said body having openings therein with the push buttons positioned in said openings for operation extericrly of the box.

2. In a box cover retainer, a box body, a cover therefor, an interlocking centering connection between one end of the box body and the cover and a latch connection between the other end of the cover and box body including notched latch pins depending from the cover, concealed hori- Zontal resilient keeper rods anchored at one end to the box body for engagement with the notched pins and a push button carried by the free end of each keeper rod for disengaging them from the notched pins for holding the latter against movement longitudinally of the keeper rods, and guide grooves in the box body for the latch pins.

3. In a box cover retainer, a box body, a cover therefor, an interlocking centering connection between one end of the box body and the cover and a latch connection between the other end of the cover and box body including notched latch pins depending from the cover, concealed horizontal resilient keeper rods anchored at one end to the box body for engagement With the notched pins and a push button carried by the free end of each keeper rod for disengaging them from the notched pins, a bar extending transversely of the box at one end thereof for the support of the keeper rods, said bar being recessed on the side facing the box end for mounting the resilient keeper rods and transverse openings in the bar and corresponding ends of the recesses for mounting the operating buttons for the keeper rods.

JERRY J. KULHANEK. 

